


The Beginning of the End

by dgdreamer



Series: The End is the Beginning [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Hawkeye (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Natasha Romanov, Friendship, Other, The Avengers Need a Sitter, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 16:29:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16957536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dgdreamer/pseuds/dgdreamer
Summary: When Directors Fury and Coulson began stitching back together what had been SHIELD, they began with the people they could trust. There were a few that could be counted as automatic based on long relationships a more than a little gut instinct.  Coulson couldn’t handle two teams and provide mission support for each of them constantly, he needed an assistant, and eventually a replacement for one of them. Together, the old friends made a decision. They had a person in mind, but it remained to be seen how she might fit in with the group. They needed to pair her with one of the agents who was also an Avenger to test their theory. If they were right, and they usually were, things were about to get very interesting.Lauren (OFC) doesn't expect her past to come back to haunt her. She believed it to be well hidden, even with the fall of SHIELD.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the start of a long journey for you, dear reader. Lauren has secrets to tell and a heart to share, if someone can break down the walls. These first stories will lay the groundwork for things to come... and there are a lot of things to come. 
> 
> This story takes place in the same universe as my work titled "Forever Love" which will be added to this collection soon. 
> 
> I write these for fun and to release my creative side since I do most of my work for the academic community. Please be kind in your comments and feedback, but do leave it. I want to know what you like and don't like so I will know how to adjust my writing to please an audience. 
> 
> The first chapter is short, but they will grow as we move along. Thank you for taking this journey with me. 
> 
> And now... on with the show.

**Prologue**

 

Lauren stared at the various swaths of color decorating the longest wall of her new apartment in Stark (Avengers) Tower. She had only just moved in, but she wanted to make an impression when she hosted her first team movie night on Friday and this was her first step. Her swatches were all in the same color family but ranged anywhere from a pale sherbet to rich cinnamon spice with almost a dozen variations between.

The door opened behind her and Natasha’s voice called out, “Anybody home? I brought a housewarming gift.” As Lauren turned, she noticed that her friend and training partner held up a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses.

“You know I’m home, Nat. You know everything. Wouldn’t even be surprised if you know what I’m going to say before I even think it.” Lauren laughed.

“Maybe,” she gave a confused look to the wall, “though I cannot fathom why it looks like an entire pumpkin patch vomited on your walls. That’s a lot of orange.”

“Well, yeah, Nat. I was just trying to decide on just the right shade so I would be ready for movie night. I want to make the right impression.”

“You know, of course, that Tony hates orange? He loathes it.”

“Mmmhmm, I know,” Lauren smirked back her reply with a raised eyebrow.

 Natasha smirked with understanding, “Good. I’ll drink… you paint.”

 


	2. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson and Fury make plans. 
> 
> Lauren (OFC) doesn't expect her past to come back to haunt her. She believed it to be well hidden, even with the fall of SHIELD.

**Interlude**

When Directors Fury and Coulson began stitching back together what had been SHIELD, they began with the people they could trust. There were a few that could be counted as automatic based on long relationships a more than a little gut instinct. Those in the Avengers Initiative and their companions might not all be considered members of the organization, but they could be counted on when they were needed. The core of the reconstructed organization was slowly coming together, but as they grew in numbers adjustments needed to be made. Coulson couldn’t handle two teams and provide mission support for each of them constantly, he needed an assistant, and eventually a replacement for one of them. Together, the old friends made a decision. They had a person in mind, but it remained to be seen how she might fit in with the group. They needed to pair her with one of the agents who was also an Avenger to test their theory. If they were right, and they usually were, things were about to get very interesting.

 

 


	3. The Introduction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Fury and Coulson are giving the orders... you don't ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these first few chapters are short... we're getting there, I promise.

**The Introduction**

 

It wasn’t often that she was sent into the field, but when the call came you went…no questions. In the years spent slaving away in the anonymity of SHIELD’s Intelligence Division, she could count on one hand the number of times she had actively participated in a mission. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been trained. She was confident in her abilities to maintain a cover, her entire existence was now an elaborate farce, and she could hold her own in a fight as well. So when she arrived at her cubicle to find a plain manila folder clearly marked as a mission brief sitting squarely in the center in the center of her desk, she was more than a little taken aback.

Sitting down with her second cup of coffee, Lauren opened the folder, scanning the contents of the first page quickly. It looked like a routine undercover op meant to protect another asset and facilitate the transfer of some pieces of stolen tech. Not something that particularly called for her area of expertise, but with the shortage of manpower available since the Triskelion had fallen maybe should shouldn’t have been surprised that she had been tapped to help out. It was the person she had been partnered with that made her choke on the sip of coffee she had just taken.

Included in the briefing package was a dossier of Natasha Romanova, the Black Widow. Even before the whole Loki and the Battle of New York thing, the woman had been a legend at SHIELD. She was known for being tough as nails and as deadly as the creature from which she drew her codename. If the Widow was involved, this must be something bigger than she had at first realized. Something was definitely up here. They didn’t call out their best agent for simple missions, and pairing them together just didn’t make any sense at all. Surely there were other, better trained and more experienced, field agents available. Lauren was beginning to think there had been some mistake.

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted Lauren’s troubled thoughts. A junior agent stood at the entrance to her space. “Director Coulson wants to see you ma’am, right away.”

He waited for her to gather the file she had been reading before moving toward the elevator at the end of the row of people who shot her curious glances as she passed. Lauren ignored them, concentrating on tamping down the mixed feelings of curiosity and panic that were rising in her chest. It only took a few minutes to arrive at an office clearly marked with a nameplate “Philip J. Coulson.” The agent knocked twice, a familiar voice answered simply “Come in,” and the door was opened and she was ushered inside. It closed behind her as soon as she crossed the threshold and she stood facing another SHIELD legend. What she didn’t expect to see was Director Fury, looming in the corner wearing his trademark black leather and scowl. This must be something important was Lauren’s first thought.

“Take a seat,” Coulson directed without looking up from the file on his desk. Lauren was happy to comply, suddenly feeling more than a little weak in the knees.

“I see you received your brief.” Coulson nodded a the folder she clutched to her chest. “This mission should be relatively simple, but what’s more important is that you establish a relationship with your partner. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Lauren answered automatically, not really knowing what they meant but getting the feeling that any questions would be unwelcome.

“Good, you have twenty-four hours. Everything you need will be provided. You will meet Agent Romanov at the location. Dismissed.” Coulson returned his eyes to his desk.

Lauren rose, giving a silent nod of acknowledgement to the other man before turning and exiting the room. He hadn’t spoken, but he was a man who didn’t need words to communicate his thoughts. She made her way back to her desk to continue learning about who she was supposed to be over the next few days and contemplate just why this mission and her part in it were important enough to warrant this kind of attention.


	4. The Mission (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lauren finds herself on a mission with the Black Widow... things don't go as planned.

The crystal blue waters of the Caribbean winked with reflected sunlight as the small jet made its approach to the island’s small airfield. As part of the cover, the two women would be arriving separately from different points of origin and meet later for dinner. Lauren mentally reviewed their cover story as they came in for a landing. They were to be two old friends having a reunion after many years apart. That would allow them to spend time just sitting together and talking while they enjoyed all the amenities the resort had to offer. It would also help explain any awkwardness that might arise because of their unfamiliarity with one another. Lauren had read everything she could access in preparation for meeting the woman she had admired for years, trying to learn all she could that might not be common knowledge. She was sure the other woman had already done the same for her.

It was late afternoon before the shuttle from the airport to the resort dropped her off at the door leading to reception. Just enough time to check herself into her room and dress for dinner. The women were to meet at 7 pm in the bar adjacent to the beach side restaurant. The asset they were there to meet would approach them at some time during the evening with a code phrase. Lauren’s phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a text from Agent Romanova.

_“Lori. Show up early. I will find you.”_

She had used her cover name, letting Lauren know that they were not certain their phones weren’t being monitored. So, any communication would be coded or face to face on this mission. It also told her that the other woman would be unrecognizable, which made sense since she was easily recognizable these days. There was nothing left to do except get settled in and wait for her meeting with the senior agent.

The room was large and comfortable, with a king-size four poster bed draped with white gauze netting, a small seating area with a love seat and two chairs, and a wet bar. The bathroom was well appointed, boasting a shower almost as big as her bedroom in New York and a garden tub. Too bad she was on a mission, this was a place meant for rest and relaxation. Lauren put off unpacking, deciding to take full advantage of the shower first. The hot water felt like heaven to her tense muscles, and before she knew it her mind and body had relaxed significantly. There were still plenty of questions, but none of them would be answered tonight or even over the next few days. Experience had taught her that things would only be made clear when her superiors were ready to explain.

A quarter of an hour before they were originally scheduled to meet, Lauren was seated at the bar enjoying sips of her Old Fashioned. She was careful not to drink too much, but it would have been suspicious for her not to order something. She was scanning the room looking for the woman she would know as Nicole for the next few days. There were several couples dotted at quiet tables for two, and in one corner members of what was obviously a bachelorette party were calling for shots. A tap on her shoulder nearly sent her sprawling from her chair.

“Lori, is that you? You’ve gotten older.” A woman with dark brown hair and a wide smile appeared at her side.

“And you changed your hair. Makes you look like your mother.” Lauren repeated the countersign.

They laughed like friends sharing an old joke and embraced warmly. Lauren tried not to be shocked at how good this woman was at taking on an assumed persona. It was, after all, what she had trained for all her life. Taking up a seat at the bar, Natasha ordered herself a drink, settling in as if to catch up. They shared fictional stories of boyfriends, husbands, work, and family for almost an hour before finally moving to have dinner. They were halfway through the entrée when a tall gentleman with an island accent approached.

“Excuse me ladies, I’m looking for someone and wondered if she might have been here. She is a small woman with red hair.” Natasha looked at him intently, apparently this was the code sign.

“I haven’t seen a red head since I landed today, sorry,” she returned with the countersign.

“Thank you, anyway, if you should see her, would you tell her that I am waiting in Bungalow 2.” This mission might be over before they planned, Lauren thought, that sounded like the direction to the rendezvous spot. Either the asset was getting nervous or something was very wrong.

Lauren’s suspicions were confirmed after dinner when Natasha suggested a walk on the beach. They slipped off their shoes as they stepped onto the sand and within minutes they had put considerable distance between the main part of the resort and themselves. Speaking just loudly enough to be heard, Natasha began.

“There is a problem. The asset was to only make contact tonight. We will need time to be sure, but I suspect he has been compromised.” The other woman’s words verified Lauren’s fears. It was one thing to go into a mission prepared for trouble, it was another for one to go badly this early.

“So, what’s the plan? Do we advance the timeline or wait to see what happens?” Lauren was more than happy to defer to the more experienced agent in these circumstances. She knew she could trust her to get them out of any potential danger with as little trouble as possible.

“I will make contact with the asset. You wait for word from me. If you don’t hear from me in one hour, call for extraction. These are not people we want to trifle with.” They had turned back toward the buildings now, Natasha putting up her façade of chatty friend without pause.

The two parted ways at the elevator, Natasha to meet with the asset and Lauren returning to her room to wait for word. Lauren paced her room anxiously, hoping that the first mission she’d been assigned in years, and with the best in the business no less, wasn’t going to go tits up before it even began. She was relieved when her phone lit up a half an hour later with a text message:

_“Tomorrow, we shop! Sleep well!”_

It seemed that things were still going somewhat according to plan, otherwise the message would have been much different. Lauren decided another shower was in order, maybe the hot water would soothe the ache in the muscles of her neck and shoulders that had increased during her wait. Feeling much more like herself, Lauren emerged from the bathroom clad only in a bathrobe. She stopped short at the sight that greeted her. Natasha sat in one of the chairs facing her, idly playing with a very deadly looking blade. Her look was as cold as her words.

“There are some things you need to explain. Answer me truthfully. More than your life relies on it.”

“What’s going on? How did you get in here?” Lauren could only sputter.

“That is the least of your concerns. How are you connected with the Andolfini Syndicate?” Of all the names Lauren thought to hear again, this was not one of them. To hear it come from Natasha meant that something had happened in her meeting with their contact. Her mind scrambled for the words that would diffuse the situation and allow her to keep her secrets.

“I’m not. This mission was the first time I’ve had any contact with them.” At least that was somewhat true.

Before she could take another breath, Natasha was on her, the knife pressed to her throat, close but not yet touching her skin.

“Don’t lie to me. There are inconsistencies in your file, and right now I am questioning your loyalties. Don’t make me kill you.” A short tug on her trapped arm let Lauren know just how serious Natasha in what she was saying. Taking a slow breath and relaxing her body, she made as if she were surrendering to the other woman. Just then she tensed and made her move. With a quick twist and a lunge, she was out of the Widow’s grip and moving to put as much space as possible between them. Her own weapons lay hidden around the room, but all of them too far away to be any good or too close to the other woman to take the risk. Lauren realized then that she had made a mistake and the other woman was aware of it. Unarmed, she only had her words with which to defend herself.

“I don’t know what happened, but I can tell you that I am loyal to SHIELD and to our mutual friends. As for inconsistences, I could say the same for you. Not everything about you was leaked when you released everything to the world. We all have things to hide.” Lauren tried desperately to convey her sincerity in her tone and stance, which was loose and unthreatening.

“Why should I believe you? I don’t know you. And just the sight of you made our asset ready to bolt. Who are you?” Obviously Natasha wasn’t buying the story in her file that she was just a college graduate with a degree in Social Sciences who happened to be a talented analyst.

“You have no reason to trust me, but you should trust the men who sent us both here. I don’t know what happened, but I can tell you that they trust me. I owe them my life, as do you.” Lauren was searching, trying to find common ground without giving too much away.

Natasha relaxed almost imperceptibly at this, and seemed to be more willing to listen, but she still wasn’t satisfied. She had already seen enough betrayal to make herself more wary than she had ever been.

“I want to know everything, or I will call a halt to this op tonight. You have been compromised, and I won’t work with a partner I can’t trust.”

“To do that, I need authorization.” Lauren moved to her phone, still on the bed where she’d left it after receiving Natasha’s text. “If I get it, we can talk.” She found the number for the secure line she needed and waited. After a series of code phrases and transfers, and one very awkward conversation, she had what she needed. She pointed toward the hotel phone on the desk. “Order a bottle of something. It’s a long story, and before I’m done we’re both going need it.”


	5. The Mission (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get better... then worse... then better again?

The next morning found them strolling through a quaint Caribbean town, chatting and ducking in and out of small shops and stalls as they continued in their masquerade as two old friends soaking up the local flavor. They were actually waiting to make contact again to set up the meeting that would signal an end to a successful mission. They were laughing over the pattern on a particularly interesting sundress when the man approached them. They made small talk for a few minutes, him flirting with Natasha and Lauren doing her best to keep up with the conversation and look at him to see where she might have seen him before. Before excusing himself to his own shopping, he asked if the women would have a drink with him later.

The invitation was the signal they had been waiting for. The plan for the transfer was set in motion. They were to meet him and have at least one drink. Lauren was to feign a headache and return to her room, leaving the couple to continue their romantic interlude. They would turn on the small com unit each wore in one ear when they separated, allowing Lauren to know when they made their way to the bungalow so that she could slip down and wait in the shadows of the foliage nearby. It was a precaution, but probably unnecessary, they were, after all, talking about a legendary spy here.

Everything was going smoothly, in retrospect Lauren would realize that things went too well, until a man-shaped shadow appeared next to her. A bright light flashed in her eyes, blinding her momentarily, and she heard a sharp intake of breath.

“We thought you were dead, you bitch. This time I’ll make sure. The boss is gonna reward me big when I bring him your fucking head.” Still unable to see, Lauren couldn’t make out his features, but she would know that voice anywhere. Apparently his word had attracted the attention of two more attackers who had been stationed nearby.

_“Damn you, Phil Coulson. And double damn you, Nick Fury! Of all the missions they could have chosen, it had to involve these goons!”_ Lauren thought to herself. She would need to think fast to get out of this without getting Natasha killed.

Luckily for her, Natasha had been listening over the coms, and the man’s low voice had at least partially carried to her. Lauren heard the thump of a body hitting the floor echoed from Natasha’s direction, and seconds later she watched her slip from one of the darkened windows near the rear of the building. Apparently, the men were wearing com units of their own since they turned quickly, distracted by the sound from inside. They converged on the entrance, the first goon dragging Lauren along with him. She allowed it, granting Natasha the time she needed to secure the package they were sent to retrieve before starting the process of getting them out of this situation.

Before Lauren knew it, Natasha attacked the two men closest to the building. Lauren had been waiting for her signal , not wanting the men to realize that she was much better trained and able to defend herself than she had been when she knew them before. At least not until the odds were more in their favor. The fight itself was short. Andolfini had never wanted to spend the money on talent, so Natasha took out her targets without even breathing heavy. Lauren took advantage of the element of surprise to spin sharply, shifting in the hold the man had on her arm up and around his back. The crunch of separating cartilage, ligament, and bone splitting the air. A quick punch to just the right spot on the back of his head sent the larger man sprawling, half unconscious and moaning with pain.


	6. The Conclusion (or is it?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lauren and Natasha enjoy the spoils... and a friendship based on secrets is born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we have reached the end of the beginning... there is more to come in this universe. Friends to be made and lovers to be found. Of course... with our girl, it might take awhile.

Two hours later, Lauren and Natasha were once again drinking together. After reporting their altercation as an attempted assault, all four men, the asset included (it seemed that he had set them up), had been taken into custody by the local police. Unsurprisingly, they were all wanted in several countries and were on INTERPOL’s watch list. No one was listening to their claims that the two women who had taken them down, using skills they had learned in a self-defense class, were actually secret agents for the now-defunct SHIELD. There was no one to argue otherwise, since to the outside world their covers were perfect. To maintain them, they would finish out their “reunion” as originally intended, albeit with a few luxuries, compliments of the establishment for their trouble.

Lifting a glass of the best champagne she had ever tasted, Lauren smiled at Natasha. In just two days, she had gone from idolizing the woman, to fearing she would be another of her victims, to earning the enigmatic assassin’s trust. Life was surprising.

Quirking a lip upward, Natasha toasted back at Lauren, “Agent, I think this might be the beginning of a beautiful partnership.”


End file.
